Book Review: Discovering Seattle’s Parks

My family loves getting out into the wilderness, but many times we are not able to go far from town for our nature fix. But thankfully we have an amazing array of local trails to explore when we need some fresh air. Seattle is fortunate to have parks in every neighborhood. Large and small, forest and beach, we don’t need to leave the city to have some restorative time in nature. One Seattle mom made it her mission to visit every park in Seattle. Linnea Westerlind didn’t realize at the outset how long it would take her to reach her goal. But finally, four years after she started, she completed her journey, and had kept a record of all her wanderings on her website, Year of Seattle Parks. All the information she collected then got published into a new book, Discovering Seattle Parks: A Local’s Guide.

Discovering Seattle Parks is organized in a geographic format. The best of the parks for each area are highlighted. You’ll find a summary in the beginning of each entry, and detailed driving and bus directions. Westerlind points out which parks are suitable for dogs and which are kid-friendly. A thorough description of park amenities is next, including historical and other interesting tidbits. Color photos taken by the author grace the pages. You’ll learn about hiking trails that won’t make most hiking guide books, as well as natural and geologic history. I am intrigued by many of the small flower gardens, and pocket parks tucked in familiar neighborhoods. I’m also amazed by the determination and perseverance of this mom who completed such an ambitious project with 3 young children.

This is a bit different from the other local hiking guides I’ve reviewed on this blog, as it includes parks that are not just for hiking. Seattle families will want to have this guidebook on their bookshelf for reference. I’m sure we’ll find many more adventures to squeeze into our busy days.